Dark Signs
by IsYourH3artTaken
Summary: He wasn't the type that made you feel safe and he wasn't the kind to tell you all would be right in the world if you stayed with him. But one thing was for certain...he knew how to make you feel wanted. David/OC.


**A/N: Had to repost due to accidental deletion. So sorry guys! :(**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own The Lost Boys, just my OC.**

**Sleepless Again**

_"I'm_ _bad for people._ _I_ _don't mean to be, but_ _I_ _can't help myself."_** - Joyce Heath, "Dangerous"**

**E**very night was the same. I'd feel the heaviness in my eyes but they never stayed closed for more than a minute. The ominous ticking of my alarm clock couldn't lull me to sleep anymore, and snuggling up to Hoot when it got cold wasn't so comforting as it used to be. Those were some of the things I used to do when my mom was alive. She'd kiss my forehead, brush my hair and steam me a cup of warm milk with honey if I was particularly hyper.

I rarely thought about her these days. It wasn't that it hurt too much, in which it did, but it left me feeling numb. It was like waking up hours after having a horrible surgery and your head is left pounding with your throat desert dry. Most nights I just sat in bed with the lamp on, staring at the wall or window. I always kept it locked and shut tight with the curtains closed but even then I could still feel as if he were in the room, watching me.

I felt alone and scared, in my own damn house. It was almost angering to feel like a prisoner in the one place where you're supposed to be safe. I felt robbed. And most of all...I felt _drained. _My dad started to notice it, too. How catatonic I must have looked throughout the days. Staring at everything, yet seeing nothing. Pondering my food instead of actually eating it. He looked at me so helplessly sometimes, as though I were a stranger in his house hold. I guess in a way, I was.

Even Tina stopped trying to contact me after so much time. She probably thought I had gone off the deep end, became a junkie, or just flat out broke off our six year friendship in favor of something else. Is that what I did...?

What happened to me? How did I let myself become this? I wasn't this kind of girl who just shut down and sank into herself when she looses someone important to her. I never cried or holed up in my room for three whole days without coming out once. It wasn't me. It was _not_ me. At least that's what I kept telling myself.

My family didn't deserve this.

This sad, jaded excuse for a daughter, niece or cousin and a friend. Sunlight no longer brought a smile to my face, my dad's banana pancakes didn't grace me with the warmth of nostalgia...nothing seemed to bring back who I really was. I couldn't even remember the last time I genuinely laughed or hummed a song whilst changing clothes or took a walk on the beach before sunset. I avoided anything and anyone...

And it was all because of _him._

Ever since I met him on the Boardwalk, when he trapped me into the carousel, he wouldn't leave me alone. I didn't know what he wanted or why he put this target on my back. All I knew was that I wanted it to stop.

I was tired of waking up terrified, on the rare nights I was able to fall asleep, thinking he was in the room with me, breathing hotly on my neck, whispering my name over and over again in my ear until I was sure I would go mad and punch something or hurl my lamp at the ceiling. He toyed with me all the time, and I knew I was never truly alone at night when all the other lights went out.

Sometimes...just sometimes, I could feel him kiss me. When I'd toss and turn, the bed would dip with strong weight and his hand would go to my face, cupping my cheek firmly so I couldn't turn away. I wouldn't be able to see him, but I knew he was there and gradually coming closer to me.

His lips would touch mine, softly at first, but then it became progressively rougher and deeper, teeth nipping at my bottom lip. I'd struggle to push him away, but somehow in the amidst of our tryst, I'd find myself pulling him closer, grasping the lapels of his long black coat and pressing my body closer to his so I'd know he was real and he was there and it wasn't a dream. But when I'd open my eyes, he'd be gone and the sun would be out. And I wouldn't feel any less lonely. I couldn't hate him, though I've tried.

I needed my candle back. I needed him back.

Things were getting too dark for me.

**X**

**_TWO MONTHS EARLIER_**

Working late shifts at the local Santa Carla grocers burned me out. I first started off working in the flower shop, taking delivery orders, and trimming the stems of all of the bouquets. Now I was sort of stationed everywhere. My high school friend Charlie spent his weeknights as the designated bag boy to pay for his college tuition. He was my rock for this particular Tuesday night, all eight hours. Price checks and shelf stocks were never the same without his infectious smile and raucous laughter.

When it was time for us to clock out, he bumped my shoulder with his playfully. "Got plans for tonight?" He asked me.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I might go see my friend Tina at the Boardwalk."

"Be careful," Charlie warned. "There's a lot of creepy dudes out this time of night."

"Yeah, like you," I remarked and he glared at me, smile crumbling, making me giggle.

"Just kidding!" I assured him. "You know I love you, Charlie." It was true. I did love him, but judging by the way he was looking at me then, I had a feeling he construed it the wrong way. How very typically male.

"My purely platonic love," I clarified so no funny ideas would spin in his head. But his merriment only seemed to fade even more, and I chuckled, patting him on the back as I moved past him to hang up my apron. Charlie mumbled something incoherent as I shrugged on my jacket. He was the type that could always dish banter but never take it.

Cynthia, the kind older manager, was at the cash register, counting our earnings for the day. I waved a goodnight to her, and she smiled at me warmly. I've always liked her. She was the one who hired me on the spot when I did my interview for the job. To this day, I never understood why I was given the position. I was a nervous wreck that day and it showed all over my face. Lady luck is good to you sometimes.

I walked out into the windy night, hair blowing around me crazily and I used the elastic band I wore around my wrist to tie it in a loose braid.

Families and teenagers alike littered into the street, hugging their game prizes and super sized dinners with them like it was a carry on item. Seeing people together like that reminded me of the times my parents used to take me out when I first moved here, eight years ago.

I smiled wistfully when a young mother picked up her toddler and carried him through the rest of the strip. The child fell asleep instantly in her arms, eye lashes flat against his rosy red cheeks. My smile crumpled around the edges as the memories came flooding back but I forced a happy expression when I skipped into Tina's record shop.

She was in the glam metal section, alphabetizing some albums. Music blared from the speakers installed in the far corners.

"Tina!" I called excitedly and rushed to her side. Her head snapped up at the sound of my voice, auburn waves bouncing around her face and smiled grandly, almost dropping the records in her hands.

She embraced me in a tight hug, squealing loudly and all the customers turned their heads at the scene. I shushed her but she only grinned and ripped off her employee tag, tossing it to the counter.

"It's about you got here," she snipped and dragged me toward the exit. "Cherry slushies and hot hunks here we come!"

"Oh, no," I protested. "No more slushies for you. Last time you had three and wretched all over my shoes."

Tina defended herself. "Hey, that was two weeks ago and I bought you new ones!"

I chuckled as we window shopped down the strip. It was never a boring night with Tina. Her fiery personality was a magnet for mayhem.

"Shouldn't you have clocked out first?" I asked when we passed a boutique, remembering how she so abrasively pulled me away without as much as a goodbye to her boss. Not that I blamed her. He was kind of a jerk.

"Ah, screw it," she replied without care and we walked on, pondering what to do first. I tried coercing her to go the Giant Dipper with me but she absolutely refused, proclaiming a fear of heights which I never heard before until that night. Seemed convenient. The henna booth was also out of the question. She was so close to getting a print done but chickened out at the last minute.

Truth be told, there actually wasn't much to do except shop, eat and maybe see a few shows. And of course, the carousel. There was always the carousel. Tina didn't forget that. "Ooh, let's go on the carousel!"

I groaned. "But we go all the time."

Tina pouted. "You don't like it?"

"It's kind of childish," I admitted.

She skulked and grumbled, "Fine."

I glanced at her and her red lips were curved down into a petulant frown. It never usually took much for me to crack. "Ugh, okay. But you're taking me to the beach after," I told her and she just smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's go!" She snagged my wrist and towed me toward the carousel in a full sprint. She claimed the first horse she saw, and straddled it quickly. "Come on, Maya!" She said, and waved me over.

There was an open, plastic steed next to her and I mounted it carefully, both legs thrown over one side.

"Faster!" Tina bellowed, bouncing up and down slightly on her horse in an inappropriate fashion. "It needs to go faster!"

"I bet that's a common request coming from you," I commented. She made a face and feigned throwing something at me, which I pretended to dodge.

The carousel spun 'round and 'round in a slow, lullaby like motion and everything became misty as the laps increased. There was very few people on the ride except for us, a tiny group of children and one other couple, which was odd considering it was usually completely full. The ride was a hit from day one and arguably, the most popular. Grown adults even indulged in the attraction's calming effects, and mostly just stood on the sidelines to watch the pretty colors fly by. I guess a moment of nostalgia can be healing sometimes.

_But not for me._

I held onto the cold, metal pole with one hand and leaned my temple against it. The biting nip felt good against my skin and somehow balanced the sickeningly slow progression of the carousel. Children's giggles filled my ears, high pitched and clipped and without the background noise the ride would almost seem...creepy. Like those stagnant playgrounds you find in an old deserted town.

Although it was a surprise to me, but I was actually having a nice time. And this wasn't exactly the kind of place you'd look to find your thrills and pulse pounding excitement. This was an escape mechanism for some people, ones looking to get lost in the crowd, and break away from their routinely lives and repressed issues and just live freely for a single night. That's what the Boardwalk was all about, I think.

Freedom and Fun.

But it was getting pretty late, only a quarter before the Boardwalk would be closing so the horses stopped in middair as the ride was powered down. Tina groaned, slumping her shoulders a bit but didn't let go of the pole.

"Closing time. Come back tomorrow guys," the employee said briskly. He probably just wanted to hurry up and get home.

"Whatta rip off," Tina grumbled then swung her leg over the horse and hopped down. "Come on, Maya," she called and walked off the podium. The remaining customers followed suit.

I sighed and attempted to dismount, but I couldn't relinquish my foot free. My shoelace was caught in a crevice in the horse's fake calf. "Maya?" Tina's voice echoed somewhere in the distance.

"Hang on, I'm stuck!" I said back to her. I jerked and twisted my foot, wincing when a stab of pain shot through my ankle. "Come on, you son of a-" Giving it a good and strong tug, I yanked it out of it's nook, and the force of it sent me flying on my back.

I hit the floor with a soft thud, blinking to rid the stars that dotted my vision momentarily, then sat up carefully on my elbows. The misty haze was troublesome to see through, and I realized with a quick body check that my left earring was missing. It came loose and fallen off when I took that tumble.

Oh, damn it, I cursed mentally. I could not loose that piece. It was a hand-me down from my mom. It was one of the very few possessions from her that kept us connected.

On my knees, I felt around with my hands, trying to pinpoint where the pearl fell at but all I came in contact with was the smooth floor. The machine operator's voice said something to me and Tina's beckons sourced from somewhere along the ride's outer rim but I was too absorbed in finding my missing jewel so I didn't hear them.

I searched and searched, patting and groping everywhere and my hand hit something small and round after I combed half the carousel. "Got it!" I exclaimed happily and thrusted my hand forward to retrieve it but in the process, bumped it farther away from me.

I heard it skid, rolling towards the threshold of the ride and I went after it, jumping to my feet so I wouldn't lose it again. Wading through the fog, the screeching stopped once I came near a colorfully painted horse so I knelt down low to feel around for it. A shiny pair of black boots appeared in front of me and I realized with short breath that my earring was only inches away from it.

Away from _him._

I reached forward to take it but the guy's boot lifted then, settling lightly upon the pearl so I had no way of getting it. I was about to kindly tell the guy to knock it off and give it back, but his shoe raised and the figure knelt down, plucking the jewel into his own gloved hand.

He inspected it curiously for a moment then extended it to me, pearl perched in between two fingers. "Drop something?"

I sighed with relief. For a second, I genuinely thought he was going to crush it under his shoe.

"Thank you," I said sincerely and took back my belonging. My bare fingers grazed his leathered ones. I snapped the earring back into place, feeling the guy's watchful gaze on me the entire time, then stood up slowly.

He rose with me, coming out of the mist and for the first time, I saw his face. He was so...handsome. In an intense, rugged way. Nice amount of stubble, bright sky blue eyes and the palest of blonde hair.

His stare was so penatrative. I really couldn't meet it equally as I spoke. "Thanks again," I said nicely and tried to move past him, but he blocked the way with his hand, barricading me into a corner. I panicked.

"What's your hurry?" He asked me amicably, but there was something taunting about his tone.

"I have to get back to my friend," I told him and he smirked.

"I wouldn't worry about her. She's preoccupied."

That statement aroused my already growing worries and I leaned around his tall shape to see if I could catch a glimpse of Tina anywhere through the haze. But I couldn't.

_Where is she?_

"Why don't you come with us?" The mystery guy offered and I raised my eyebrows.

"Us?" I repeated, confused. It was weird that he said because I could only see-

Wait. Behind him.

In a row, standing unassumingly near a pink and white horse, were three young men. One was dark haired, taller than the others with the most exotic, serious eyes. The last two were smaller, though certainly not gangly, with dirty blonde hair. I could tell from their sly grins that they were the most energetic.

"What do you say, boys? I think we have a winner," The one all in black told them. I knew from his stature and invisible aura of power that he was their leader. Also, his trench coat was sort of a dead giveaway.

His gang spurted into laughter, even the raven haired one managed to crack a smile and I raised my eyebrows in confusion. Why did he call me a _winner?_ What did he mean?

"I'm sorry, but I really should be going," I said, a bit anxiously and the leader chuckled, deep and throaty and yet so attractive. The sound should have scared me and it did cause me to shiver. However, it wasn't out of fear. Everything about this guy was appealing.

And that seemed to be the most dangerous thing about him. l tried moving past him, but his hand touched my cheek then and I froze in my spot.

"What's your name?" He asked, looking into my eyes.

I swallowed stiffly. "Maya...I'm Maya," I said, and I tried not to flinch or tremble when he swayed closer. "And you?"

A beat passed. "David."

His answer was low and chilling. The raspy, baritone edge in his voice sent a tremor through my bones, a soft and numbing pulse. I barely knew this man yet he was already having such a strong effect on me. Something about him was just not tight. I needed to get out of there fast and I inched around the bend, hoping to slip past David without having to make direct physical contact with him.

But a voice made me pause. "Come hang out with us, Maya!" The smallest boy insisted, bluish green eyes big and expressive.

"Don't be scared of us, girl!" The other blonde piped in. I tried to smile along with them but it came out very forced and awkward.

I looked up at the bright, blue eyed one and he was staring down at me ever so silently. He cocked an eyebrow when his boys began chanting my name. Quietly at first then it grew louder. My skin felt antsy.

"Well, Maya, what's it gonna be?" All four pairs of eyes were on me and my face got very hot, despite the chilly weather. I felt pressured to just give in and say yes but the way they were looking at me stated otherwise. All I wanted was to find my friend and go somewhere else.

_Tina, where are you?_

My mystery guy held out his hand, curling his fingers forward a few times in demand that I take it. And slowly, very slowly, I out stretched my hand toward his -

"What the hell is going on? I thought I told you guys never to come here." A security guard stepped onto the podium, both hands planted firmly on his hips with a profound frown.

I pulled my hand back to my side as David turned half way the the less than happy rent-a-cop. He looked a little defeated.

"There a problem?" He asked almost innocently.

"That depends," the security guard told him then addressed me. "Are these boys bothering you, miss?"

All four boys looked at me, every trace of friendliness gone. It was as if they were daring me to say something that would implicate them. And in all honesty, I wanted to but staring up into David's eyes temporarily muddled my thoughts.

"No. No, they're fine."

As if right on cue, they broke into grins. All except the dark haired one and David, who just stared at me wordlessly, eyes calculating and unreadable.

"All right, everyone off the ride. Now," the security guard ordered and he didn't need to say it twice.

I pensively walked past David, feeling a jolt rush through me when I lightly brushed against his chest. The other three parted to let me through and I exited the ride with soaring relief. Behind me, the security guard told the four boys to never come on the Boardwalk again. A weight lifted from my shoulders as my vision cleared, becoming less disoriented by the near blinding fog inside the carousel.

Cupping my hands around my mouth, I called Tina's name and received a response after a minute or two. She was seated comfortably on top of a body piercing booth, chatting up two older guys. She waved wildly when she saw me, jerking a thumb in the boys' direction and I knew she struck gold. The night was still technically young and there were quite a few party goers wandering the streets and converging outside of stores, cherishing the time they had until they were eventually kicked out.

I wanted to leave myself. I didn't care where, just off the Boardwalk. The carousel would forever be a strange place for me to go to. I knew that place gave me the skeeves for a legitimate reason. Now there was proof and back-up.

I skipped over to Tina as she was in the gist of biding goodbye to her two beach studs. A part of me wondered if she even knew I was absent for this long or just distracted by the...sights. She always had a penchant weakness for well defined pectoral muscles.

"There you are!" Tina chirped, jumping off of her seat. She sprang toward me, brick red hair flying behind her like a long scarf. "What was the hell was that about?" She said, inclining her chin to the carousel. I guess she heard the fiasco with the security guard.

The manager of the piercing booth was packing up his table and he gave his goodnights to us when we passed by. Tina was still gazing behind us as we walked away and I knew where her gaze was directed at.

I didn't dare to follow her line of sight as I spoke. My neck tingled with an uneasy sensation that I was being watched and I had a strong feeling on who it was. Who _they_ were. I pulled Tina along to walk at a quicker pace. "I have no idea."

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**A/N: Again super sorry about the repost! I deleted this by mistake while trying to manage another one of my stories. Ugh, *facepalm*.**

**Anyways, what did you think? Would you be interested in reading more****? Let me know in a review! I would really appreciate it. :)**

**Thanks for reading! I hope everyone liked it. **


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